Popping into

Fourth Grade
Organizational Theme Unit
Elizabeth Collins
EDU 348

Table of Contents
1.Table of Contents
2. Incentive Reward Explanation
3. Incentive Board
4. Make-Up Your Work Sheet
5. letterhead to communicate with parents
6. Introductory Letter to Parents
7. Parent conference Record Sheet
8. Documented Intervention Sheet
9. Bonus Point Object that can be
reproduced
10. Introductory Activity
11. Supply List
12. Ms. Collins Popcorn Club
13. Ms. Collins Popcorn Club Contract
14. Lesson Plan
15. Unit Expansion

1
!

Incentive Reward
When the students achieve a 90 or above on a test,
complete all homework on time for two weeks they will
receive the little animated popcorn shown below and
place it in their jar with a lid. When they have collected
10 the student will receive a homework pass and a
ticket put into the end of the year drawing for a big
prize. The big prize at the end of the year is to get to
choose what movie the class watches (with some
guidelines) in the big end of the year popcorn party.

2
!

3
!

Bulletin Board
This is the Bulletin Board I would like to have outside my
classroom when using this Theme Unit. The red curtains on
the sides will be made out of large sheets or paper tied back
with yellow cords. I will have gold and red borders on the
top and bottom. The big popcorn container will look like it
is, either hand drawn or a purchased version. the individual
popcorn pieces will have the names of the students in my
class on them. I would also like to invert the Popping into
4th Grade letters so the background is black and the words
are white. I think that might look a little better but proved
difficult in drawing this out.

4
!

Getting back into the Pop

of things!
While you were gone, we popped through a lot!
Please catch up on the scenes you missed!!
Reading:___________________________________
__________________________________________
Math:______________________________________
__________________________________________
Writing:____________________________________
__________________________________________
Social Studies:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Science:____________________________________
___________________________________________
Spelling:____________________________________
___________________________________________
Additional Comments:
___________________________________________

5
!

6
!

Dear Parents,
It's hard to believe but it's that time of the year again - the
beginning of a new school year. Welcome back! My name is Ms.
Collins and I will be your childs teacher this year. I am very
excited to share all the adventures of this year with you! As your
child Pops into Fourth Grade!
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to be your
childs teacher. I promise to give my very best to teach, inspire,
motivate, and encourage your child.
This years theme is Popping into Fourth Grade! At the
beginning of the year all students will be added to our Popcorn
Club where they will earn prizes, homework passes, and learn how
to work together as a class to achieve the end of the year goal!
We are going to have a great year together!
Please contact me at anytime if you have questions,
comments, or concerns by e-mailing me or giving me a call at
school.
Thank you for your commitment to your child's education
and success and I look forward to getting to know you and your
child this year!
Sincerely,
Ms. Collins

7
!

Parent Conference Record

Teacher:_______________
Date:__________
Student_________________
Parent(s):________________
Objective:_________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
__________________________________
Suggestions for Improvement:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Signed:__________________
Teacher
____________________
Parent(s)/Guardian(s)

_______________
Student

8
!

Documented Interventions
Students Name:_____________________________
Parents Name:______________________________
Parents daytime phone(s):______________________
Teacher:__________ Subject/grade:______________
Intervention

Date

Comments

Discuss Problem with Student

_____

__________________

Clarify rules

_____

__________________

Change Seats

_____

__________________

Telephone parents/guardian

_____

__________________

Parent Conference

_____

__________________

Peer tutoring

_____

__________________

Extra help after school

_____

__________________

Adapt Assignments

_____

__________________

Refer to counselor

_____

__________________

Student Contract

_____

__________________

Time Out

_____

__________________

Home/school daily or weekly notes

_____

__________________

Individual conference with student _____

__________________

Refer to Principal

_____

__________________

Refer to counselor

_____

__________________

Refer to school psychologist

_____

__________________

Refer to specialist:__________

_____

__________________

Conference with parent and student _____

__________________

Home Visit

_____

__________________

Team Conference

_____

__________________

Notes:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________

9
!

Bonus Point Object!

These are great little pieces that I would use to print
out and put on a little un-popped bag of popcorn to
give to students if they help me out in the classroom
or to parents if they come in to volunteer. This is
just a cute way to say thank you!

!
!10

Introductory Activity
To introduce the theme to the students, We are going to
make our All About Me sheets, and our popcorn piece!

The students will

fill out their All
About Me Sheet
and with it they
will receive a
popcorn piece
similar to this.
That they can
decorate with their
names & I will
laminate and use
to call on them

!
!11

Supply List!

Please Make sure you label all of

your supplies with your first and last
initials.
4 Large Glue Sticks
10 pencils with erasers
1 eraser
4 red pens
4 blue pens or black pens
1 Sharpie
1 box of colored pencils
1 box of washable markers
3 highlighters (different colors)
1 pencil box or case
1 binder
10 dividers
5 packs of wide ruled paper
4 wide ruled notebooks (red, green, blue, yellow)

!
!12

Reward Club Explanation

At the beginning of the year the students will be
added to Ms. Collins Popcorn Club. This is where I
would implement my discipline system with the use of
levels. If the students stay in the club all year long
they earn a big movie marathon where I will provide
popcorn on the end of the year. I will give them a
Christmas gift of wiping the slate clean after
Christmas Break so if they happened to receive a level
they can try again for the remainder of the year.
At the beginning of the year the students, the parents,
and I will all sign the contract on the next page for
the student to become a member of the Popcorn Club.

!
!13

Ms. Collins Popcorn Club Contract

I__________ agree to give my best effort

throughout this school year. I will obey the rules
that my class and I agreed on.
My teacher agrees to fairly follow the reward club
procedures that we agreed on with her as a class.
I understand the following level system, and that
in order for me to stay in Ms. Collins Popcorn
Club, I cannot receive a level.
Level System: 1. Warning
2. Time out/Guidance Office
3. Note/Call Home
4. Sent to the Office
I agree to do my best to have a great year!
Signed:___________
Student

__________
Teacher

__________
Parent

!
!14

Lesson Plan
Subject: Science
Grade: 4th
Objective: Students will use popcorn to learn about place value
and estimating.
Materials needed:
Popcorn Kernels
Container with lid
Package of Small Paper Cups
Procedures:
Activity 1 -- Estimation.
1. Display a container full of popcorn kernels.
2. Challenge students to estimate how many kernels are in the container.
3. Have each student write his or her name and estimate on a slip of paper. Then do Activity
2.
Activity 2 -- Counting/Place Value.
1. Appoint 4 or 5 students to be "collectors." The rest of the students are "counters."
2. Divide the popcorn kernels evenly among the counters by having each student take a
handful or by pouring out even amounts on each student's desk.
3. The students are instructed to count the kernels by sorting their share into groups of ten.
When a student has ten groups of ten, he/she raises a hand; a collector goes to that
student's desk, checks the piles to make sure there are ten groups of ten, and puts the
kernels into a small paper cup
4. The students count how many cups of 100 kernels (ten piles of ten) were collected.
5. If counters have any kernels left over, they partner with another counter, combine their
kernels, and arrange them into piles of ten. When they have ten piles of ten, they call a
collector who adds them to the popcorn tally.
6. Finally, add any loose kernels. When the students have a final tally, the teacher checks
the slips the students submitted in Activity 1 to learn which student's estimate is closest to
the actual number of kernels in the container.

!
!15

Unit Expansion- Popcorn Relay

The expansion activity that I decided to pick is

a fun one that can be used as a replacement for
recess if it rains & they cant go outside!
The students will play a popcorn relay game that
involves there math facts.
I will split them into three or four groups
depending on space and then place a bowl of
popcorn on the other end of the room. The students
will line up in a relay line and wait for me to say
go.
They will speed walk to the other end of the
room and using a cup I gave them, fill it with
popcorn and bring it back to the other side of the
room to put in the empty bowl by their team. The
first team to move all their popcorn without
spilling any on the floor wins. (if they spill some
on the floor, they have to clean it up and then go
back and start their turn over).